Atlanta alongside sara sidner in tel aviv. As we start a new hour, were following breaking news, israels Defense Minister announcing a short time ago that the idf has moved to a new phase of war against hamas. Israeli soldiers are now operating inside the gaza strip. Armored vehicles and tanks were on the move overnight, but it remains unclear if this is actually the beginning of israels anticipated major Ground Assault in gaza. Ahead of troops entering the enclave, overnight israel unleashed an onslaught of Aerial Bombardments that rocked gaza. The idf renewed its warnings for civilians in Northern Gaza to evacuate. Doctors say they treated hundreds of wounded overnight, but also there were many killed in the air strikes. The idf says the air strikes targeted 150 underground spaces and terror tunnels. They claim they killed one key hamas operative who, it says, carried out the deadly attacks on october 7th in israel. Were also watching israels border with lebanon. The idf and hezbollah continue to Exchange Fire on that front. Sara sidner picks up our coverage on the ground there in israel. Thank you, fred. It has been a bombardment like we have not seen. We have seen just a fierce air attack from israel over gaza. We also know, as you mentioned, that there are troops now on the ground in gaza. Although it is not the main offensive that everyone thought it might be, the Ground Offensive that everyone thought may happen, it is a much Smaller Group of Israeli Soldiers that are in gaza. We have been seeing the air strikes, feeling the rumble like thunder over our heads here in tel aviv from those air strikes in gaza and seeing rockets come over from gaza, from hamas into israel. You are seeing those shots there of the iron dome intercepting rockets one after the other. About a half dozen rockets have come over tel aviv in the last 30 minutes. We go to Jeremy Diamond in israel as close as you can get to the gaza border. Israel soldiers are on the move. Weve been seeing video of the trucks going in. But the idf is renewing its message to gaza citizens to evacuate. What are you seeing right now on the border . Theres another rocket coming in. One moment. We just saw another iron dome interception just over my shoulder here. We see those quite often. I just wanted to check to see where it was to make sure were in a fairly safe place. Jeremy, what are you hearing and seeing on the gaza border . Reporter moments ago we were on a position overlooking the gaza strip, and what we were able to see over the last couple of hours was the continuation of this expanded Ground Operation and those intensified air strikes and Artillery Strikes onto the gaza strip. We are now 24 hours after Israeli Forces launched that expanded Ground Operation, and the barrage hitting gaza remains fierce and intense. You can see some of the video that we shot moments ago seeing not only explosions in gaza, but also barrages of rockets being fired by hamas militants, we would suppose towards israeli towns and cities. As you are seeing those arriving toward your location, we have been seeing the outgoing from the gaza strip. We heard the Chief Of Staff of israels armed forces making clear that this expanded Ground Operation is not something that is simply going to last 24 hours, but it is a new phase of this Military Campaign that israel has been waging against hamas over the last three weeks. He says the best soldiers are now operating inside of gaza and important and complex operations are being carried out by those soldiers inside the gaza strip. He makes clear the objectives of this war require a Ground Operation, he said, and also acknowledging the fact that it will likely lead to idf casualties, saying that every victory comes at a price. Now, overnight as we were hearing the most Intense Bombardment of the gaza strip that we have heard in the three weeks of war, we have learned that the idf struck over 150 underground targets inside of gaza, which explains the intensity of the bombardment that we heard last night. Again, these operations are very much still ongoing. These not the targeted raids we saw on the two previous nights where tanks went into gaza and the next morning the idf announced those tanks had returned across the border. Again, we are 24 hours since this Ground Operation launched and we can still hear artillery fire, tank fire and also small arms fire, indicating there is fighting on the ground in gaza likely involving Infantry Troops as well. We heard those telltale sounds of the iron dome intercepting the rockets. Were seeing the pictures coming from your area because gaza is just beyond where you are seeing those rockets come over. Not too long after you see them go out, we see them here in tel aviv. Of course youve been in ashkelon. What have you seen as far as any damage, or have the rockets sort of flown over towards where we are, if you will . Reporter it depends on the day. Today since weve been here, weve not had any sirens in ashkelon. Just a couple of days ago there were two impacts made. Its important to keep in mind that while the iron dome does intercept the overwhelming majority of rockets, some do still make it through. Ashkelon is the city that has seen the most rocket fire of any city in israel. What we have really been watching as israel has intensified its Bombardment Inside Of Gaza is we have seen casualties inside of gaza start to rise in a dramatic way, more than 7,000 people killed. Of those 7,000 people, more than 3,000 are believed to be children according to the Palestinian Ministry of health. That is the result, of course, of this bombardment and of the fact that we know hamas is very much operating within civilian areas. Just yesterday the idf claims that hamas is operating from underground facilities underneath gazas largest hospital inside of gaza where not only are critically injured people being treated but also where thousands have been seeking shelter. The idf provided this alleged intercepted conversation between two gazans. They said they had additional intelligence. Palestinians have denied it. Certainly one of the challenges of these operations being carried out by israelis is the fact that there are miles and miles of Underground Facilities Hamas maintains where they are hiding their fighters and where they carry out rocket attacks. The fact this underground city is underneath the very real City Aboveground where civilians are as well inevitably leads to risk. The idf says they take measures to try to avoid civilian casualties, but the toll has been too high from a Human Perspective as you watch what is happening on the ground in gaza over these last weeks. Its harder and harder to know exactly because there has been a Communications Blackout from the bombardment according to the Telecom Provider there. They have completely lost communications. So it is even harder now to see exactly what the damage is to human life and to the infrastructure there in gaza at this point. But we have seen so much damage and i know youre hearing jets over head as well. Jeremy diamond, thank you so much for all of your reporting today and in the past three weeks. Lets turn to retired Army Brigadier general peter zwak. Thank you for joining us on this saturday. As you look at what is happening with the movements of Israel Forces into gaza and you hear the Israeli Military has a small number of soldiers that have remained in gaza on the ground. What is your view thats happening here, the plan that you see unfolding . The israelis have been watching. They have a lot of us wondering why didnt they go in the first week. I believe in large part, okay, you have all the diplomacy going on, but theyve been studying methodically the ground. They understand history and how difficult urban fighting is. They had to bring up a massive callup and prepare their troops to do any major assault. Now, what i think is happening is that they have probably over the last several weeks been fighting a shadow war already, nibbling on the margins of the hamas defense, going underneath. Theyve been pinpointing the tunnels. Theyve been trying to find where the hostages are, identifying targets. And then at a certain point theyre calling in air strikes. These are not aimed at the palestinian population, but unfortunately in the cynicism of hamas they have collocated their forces among the population. I would call these probes, ontheground probes with heavy armor backs it up. Theyre not rushing in because they know heavy forces going in. No. This is kind of methodical. So theyre probing, its reconnaissance in force, its shaping the operation, Air Power Hitting what theyre doing, Special Operations on the ground. At a certain point they will go. The tragedy, of course, is hamas is going to continue to use civilians as a shield, and this is what makes urban fighting so horrific. There is a terrible human toll, mothers and babies, pregnant women, grandparents have been killed in large numbers there in gaza so far. There is talk of what a prolonged siege might look like in gaza and particularly in gaza city, because the Israeli Military has told people to leave, go from the north to the south, but even the south is getting hit by air strikes. What would this look like if they decided to do a fullscale war from the ground and the sky . This is a really, really hard question. I think, first of all, they would work to seal off the city, yet they are struggling with creating conduits out for the palestinians who still remain up in Northern Gaza. But theyve got to seal it off. You know, the debate over the things going in and fuel, unfortunately, hamas is also using lots of fuel for its tunnels and generators and all that. So how do you manage that . The siege hardest on the civilian population. So while the presence of hamas has a choke hold on that population, in the siege, i would have to believe the idf will be turning up the pressure on the ground and just block by block, basement by basement, tunnel by tunnel trying to f ferret out these guys. Also, remember, we have the hostages there, which also makes this so devilishly complicated. But to besiege them with a lot of civilians still in there, i dont think it will work in that environment for some of the reasons ive tried to suggest before. I think you used the term devilishly complicated and i think that is a term that really gives you the idea just how hard this is going to be for the Israeli Military but even worse for the civilians caught in the middle of all of this. Thank you so much. Lets turn now to the latest on what people in gaza are seeing amid this barrage. There has been a blackout for some time certainly overnight where communications were impossible according to the Telecommunications Provider there because of the bombardments. What are you hearing . Reporter We Saw Terrifying Scenes Last Night of Intense Bombardment. What was more concerning was the silence, the lack of video coming out, the lack of messages from Rights Groups on the ground, from people and civilians and our teams inside gaza. As weve woken up this morning and seen Still Limited communications, what we have seen is a mounting Civilian Death Toll, complete devastations. Israel says it is targeting hamas, but as we have seen, that Civilian Death Toll has mounted by the hour. We know more than 7,000 Palestinians Inside Gaza have been killed. That is just the number of people who have been identified. There still many areas where they have been told to evacuate who are still beneath the rubble there because of israels continued bombardment. That is only intensifying. We could see more civilian areas coming under attack and in particular hospitals where Tens Of Thousands of Palestinians Inside Gaza have now taken shelter, many around the largest hospital inside gaza, hoping this is a safe area. But it may not be for long. Take a look. A flash of light over the chilling imposed darkness that engulfs gaza every night. A glaring promise of more death and destruction. The ongoing siege and a Communications Blackout plunging gaza into eerie silence. What little video has emerged so far paints a picture of the devastation wrought by israels relentless bombardment. Scenes of incomprehensible loss, bodies of the latest among thousands of victims. Israel says it has targeted hamas, now also expanding its Ground Operations, a retaliation, they say, to the hamas Terror Attacks of october 7th, which left at least 1400 dead and more than 200 others held hostage inside gaza. But in the besieged strip of land, the number of palestinians killed also rises with each and every air strike. The situation here is dire. Our homes were destroyed in the air strikes. Six of our Family Members were killed. What can we do . We have all living through this. This was the scene on friday at the largest hospital in gaza, now not only a lifeline to thousands of patients, but a sanctuary to Tens Of Thousands, including children displaced by the war. Were not even asking for food. Were not asking for water. Were asking for safety, for security. Our men, women, our children, theyve all been killed. Many have come in the hope that hospitals will remain a safe haven. But this safe haven is now being characterized by israel with no verifiable evidence as a potential target. The buildings are buildingsu reporter it is a claim rejected by palestinian officials in gaza, who accuse israel of Falsifying Intelligence and say the hospital is only used to treat patients. But the consequence of such allegations is feared by many. Any suggestion that this hospital could be viewed as a legitimate target by israel, for doctors who know the hospital well, is a warning of unimaginable bloodshed. Ive been in all parts, in the basement, in the clinics, in the different buildings. Ive been there night and day, peacetime, wartime, all over. I have never seen anything that could look like or function as some command center. Reporter on and on, israels air strikes lay waste to this already ravaged enclave. Artillery shelling now adding to the devastation. The people of gaza gripped by a constant cycle of mourning, still struggling to comprehend this endless nightmare, death now woven into the very fabric of their lives. It is important to underscore as these air strikes intensify, the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating. Weve been hearing from families on the Ground Inside Gaza who tell us they are rationing food, they have no more safe, clean Drinking Water available. And as we all know, the warnings to the hospital and medical teams on the ground are unless more fuel is brought into gaza soon, we could see even more hospitals closing their doors to patients. As we know, thousands inside gaza are desperately dependent on those hospitals and that Urgent Medical care, particularly as theres no sign of these air strikes letting up any time soon. The Mfamilies Cannot get in touch with their Family Members living in gaza. Theres an extreme amount of fear there. Thank you so much of the story. Well have much more of our r le coveverage i in a momentnt. Were learning new details about the investigation into that Mass Shooting in maine wednesday that killed 18 people and injured 13. We now know the shooters body was found yesterday inside a box trailer at a recycling Center Parking lot in the town of lisbon. Investigators say 40yearold robert card died of an apparent selfinflicted gunshot wound, ending a twoday manhunt in southern maine. The Rampage In Lewiston was the deadliest Mass Shooting in the u. S. This year and the deadliest since the uvalde, texas, school massacre. Im joined by Simone Prokupecz live for us in lewiston. Reporter police releasing a lot more information now that the shooter is dead. They say they were able to release more information on the investigation. We know he was found last night at 7 45 inside this trailer at a Recycling Plant in the area where theyve been searching the past few days. We Learned Police found a total of three guns, a long gun in his car and two additional guns on him or in the trailer when they found him. We also learned that they are looking as part of the motive here as to